All You Want Read online

  “He didn’t approve because it was unexpected.” I squirm in my seat because my pants are too tight. “Flash mob showed up when I posted that Evan Graves was in town.”

  “Sure, sure, you’re so innocent.” She chuckles. “I saw your ghost photobomb contest. Did you get any legit ones?”

  “Not yet.” I bring up the social media site on my phone. “Since everyone was using their cell phones with automatic flashes, they weren’t able to capture the images Evan projected inside the mansion.”

  “Shhh!” She cups both hands over her ears. “I don’t want to hear your secrets.”

  “Why? So you can believe when real ghosts show up?”

  “Maybe I like to keep the mystery. How do you know there aren’t real ghosts in that boarding house you renovated? I hear it has a colorful history.”

  “If there are ghosts, Evan will find them and showcase their stories.” I lean back while Joey serves us our breakfast, then ask her, “Did you see any ghosts last night?”

  She’s the owner of Joe’s Diner. Her real name is Josephine, but beware if you ever slip up and call her that. She has a non-identical twin, Vivi, who runs the general store. The Colsons weren’t miners, but people who sold the picks and shovels and got rich doing so.

  “I saw a weeping woman,” Joey says. “But she wasn’t in my selfie. Vivi thinks she has a baby ghost in hers, but it looks more like a smudge on her camera lens.”

  “She should still post it. I’ll let Evan judge if it’s a ghost or not.”

  “Todd had a ghost hanging over his shoulders and another one on his arm.” Joey winks and nudges her sister. “You should have seen how bashful and shy he looked. Actually, I’d say he was quite spooked.”

  “You think he’s on the verge of asking you out?” Linx spears me an inquiring look. “How’d the barbecue beef offering go?”

  “We’re friendly.” I poke my fork into a piece of pineapple, wishing they’d drop the speculations.

  “Whoa! What happened?” Linx places both hands on the table and leans forward, staring at me as if she were the school principal catching me in an act of mischief. “You’re usually so peppy about Todd.”

  True. I’m prone to oversharing, and she’s used to me speculating and asking her for advice on what I can do to attract him.

  I look down on my yogurt, stirring it around. Thankfully, Joey leaves to serve other customers, leaving me under Linx’s inquisition. I better think of some excuse fast, but for once, I’m drawing a blank. How to not give away the hot kisses and fondling that’s making me hot all over while acting like he’s just an acquaintance?

  “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels with your brother.” I attempt a nonchalant shrug but am unable to meet her eyes. “He reamed me about not having an event permit, and I was only saved by Jessie. Then he got drawn into the flash mob only because he was too polite to yell at people while Jessie’s on his shoulders.”

  “You’re saying Jessie tamed my brother and got him to bend the law.” Linx leans back and cuts into her pancake stack. “What happened after Jessie left? I thought you’d be crowing about catching the big, bad Sheriff of Naughty-Ham. He sure had a funny expression when he was looking at you. Maybe he saw a ghost.”

  “He wants me to follow the rules, that’s all.” I tamp down the urge to study the pictures to see what expression Todd had while taking selfies with me.

  Linx’s perceptive gaze locks on to me a moment longer. “Is everything all right?”

  I take a deep breath, realizing I have to get her off the trail. “I’m fine. After Jessie left, Todd took me home on his motorcycle, and he told me in no uncertain terms that he’s not interested in anything more than friendship.”

  “He said that to you directly?” Linx clasps my hand with her bandaged ones. “You sure you’re okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m glad he told me.” I emit a dry chuckle. “Means I don’t have to keep wasting time sending food to him at the station.”

  “Did he give you a reason?”

  Sometimes, I wish she weren’t such a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out every detail, but I guess that’s what friends are for. Although, being Todd’s sister means she has a conflict of interest.

  “His reasons are private,” I declare in a self-righteous or annoyingly unctuous tone. “Far be it from me to speculate.”

  “Todd gets easily discouraged,” Linx declares. “Maybe if you didn’t challenge him so much on the town’s direction, he wouldn’t be so reticent. I hear you’re always shouting him down at the city council meetings.”

  Yep, conflict of interest.

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing you tell me to back off.” I gape at her, and she at least has the grace to look guilty. “Does he complain to you about my attitude?”

  “No, he never does that. I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you two. But honestly, if he’s that reluctant and hard to get, then I hate to tell you—he’s probably not into you and only being polite to you because you’re my friend.”

  Her stating what I feared would have crushed me only a day ago. But now that we have this secret thing going, I dismiss it. “Eh, I’m okay. I’m a big girl, and you tried to help. At least I can put it all behind me now.”

  She looks me straight in the eye. “I must have read everything wrong, or maybe it’s because you’re my bestie and I wanted you to be part of the family.”

  “Yeah, well, we can still be sisters even without me marrying one of your brothers.” I slurp down the cooled coffee. “I’m honestly tired of chasing after him with not a hint of encouragement. In fact, I went by the station to drop off my event application and didn’t even look inside.”

  “I’m sorry.” She pats my hand again and sighs. Her large eyes droop, and she flattens her lips with disappointment. “Guess it frees you up for other opportunities.”

  “It’s for the best.” I buck up a smile. “You’ll see.”

  She returns a tentative smile. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Maybe he wasn’t meant to be.”

  “No, probably not, but don’t say anything to him, okay? I’m embarrassed enough already.”

  She nods, then looks across the diner. “Don’t look now, but Todd just came through the door. What do you want me to do?”

  “Act normal, like I didn’t tell you anything.” I open my purse and reapply lipstick, checking that I don’t have any food on my face.

  The big man ambles toward us with a grin on his face. “Hey, ladies. Mind if I sit here?”

  Linx narrows her eyes. “Why so weird? I’m your sister, remember?”

  “Oh, fine.” He slides into the booth next to her and looks at me. “Tami. Good day.”

  “Good day to you, too, Sheriff. What’s up?”

  “Before I approve your permit for Spooky Fest, I’ll need your backing at the city council when I request funds for additional security and traffic personnel.”

  “Got to spend money to make money.” I flutter my eyelids and give him a confident smile.

  “The city has too many debts, and we’re still in the hole for the fire investigation and cleanup after Gold Rush Week. I do wish you’d consider the ramifications before bringing another mob into town.”

  “They’ll be here spending money,” I assure him. “I’m owing more property taxes too with all the improvements I’m doing. I took an old abandoned building and am turning it into a destination vacation spot. Cait’s thinking of opening a dance hall and theatre where the old one burned down, and my sorority is getting investors together to start a Gold Rush Village shopping district.”

  I can tell he’s zoning out, because he stares at the menu like he’s never seen it before, and we all know nothing ever changes. Joey even dropped the veggie burgers when a group of vegans accused her of cross-contamination with meat products. Of course, it leaves an opening for a future vegetarian restaurant, but that will have to wait for the planned housing development the neighboring ashram is proposing.

  Todd’s ph
one rings, and he answers it without excusing himself. How rude. If I didn’t know we were keeping our kisses a secret, I would be miffed. But I know it’s all part of pretending we’re not into each other, so I give Linx a “see what I mean” look to let her know Todd no longer affects me anymore.

  “What?” Todd barks. “She’s right here. Okay. I’ll let her know. Fire department called? Sure. I’m on my way.”

  He hangs up and pushes from the table.

  “What happened?” Linx and I ask at the same time.

  “There’s a garbage fire at your boarding house. I thought you told me last night you were having it cleaned up.”

  “I have a crew there.” I rise from the table and dig into my purse for money to cover the tab.

  “That’s the other thing. The foreman says tools and construction material have been stolen.”

  “Oh, no, that’s not good.” I follow him to the doorway of the diner.

  “Which is why you shouldn’t have attracted all that attention last night before you were ready for your grand opening,” says the careful sheriff as he opens the door to the town’s new Chevy Tahoe PPV, or Police Pursuit Vehicle, allocated by funds I asked my daddy to donate. “I told you what would happen without proper security.”

  “But you were there,” I protest as I get into the gleaming PPV. “Besides, not everything is planned.”

  “Exactly my point. Without planning, you’re planning to fail.”

  I hate it when he lectures me, and I hate it even more when he’s right. But as long as he kisses me under the covers, I’ll put up with his gruff exterior.

  “Sure, Toddkins,” I simper sweetly once he’s inside the large vehicle. “Let’s plan on another hike this evening. I’ll bring a picnic basket.”

  One side of his mouth lifts in a crooked grin. “I’ll bring the wine. Make sure we’re not followed, but don’t call me Toddkins.”

  “Toddkins is our secret password.” I tickle his forearm and snuggle closer to him on the bench seat.

  “Sheriff Colson,” a voice on the radio barks. “We have an injury on the site of the Bee Sting Bordello. A worker fell off the scaffolding. Ambulance dispatched.”

  All thoughts of Toddkins and our picnic are submerged. I should have been on-site to supervise and not on cloud nine because Todd kissed and felt me up last night. I have a business to run, so I call Evan on my cell phone.

  He apprises me of the situation. “Juan broke a leg. He was reaching for a suspension wire for the flying angel ghost. Ambulance is on the way.”

  “Anything suspicious?” I ask on behalf of Toddkins. “Do you still need the police?”

  “Don’t think so. No evidence of foul play or anything,” Evan says with his expert voice. “Simple accident.”

  “What about the supplies that got stolen? I got charged twice for the bricks that went missing.”

  “We fixed a broken lock in the basement,” Evan says. “That’s probably how they got in. Made off with some tools, but we found a stack of bricks and pipes near the coal bin.”

  “Didn’t you say you heard suspicious sounds coming from the basement?” I remember him discussing it with some of the workers claiming they’re ghosts.

  “We had a few dead animals in the basement,” Evan says, which is why we’re sealing off the side with all that old coal and debris.

  “Okay, then let’s plan on a walkthrough of all the exhibits and schedule a dry run before grand opening,” I say with an authoritative boss’s voice.

  From the side of my eye, I spot Todd giving me a thumbs up. And that’s all it takes for my boundless optimism to soar to the sky.

  Everything will be okay, and I’ll be the happiest belle of Halloween with spooks and frights and a bewitching hour to be remembered—especially with Sheriff Toddkins at my side.

  Six

  ~ Todd ~

  Having Tami in my police SUV is another experience I’m not supposed to enjoy. If I didn’t think she was so cute and fluffy, I would be annoyed with her touching the buttons and running her fingers across the dashboard dials. But her perfume and chattiness stir up all the hots I have for her. I shouldn’t have kissed and touched her, because now that I’ve tasted the sweet goods, it’s harder to control my stone-cold sheriff’s demeanor.

  “Can you turn on the siren?” Her finger hovers over the keypad, and my naughty mind imagines them drawing circles over my hot skin. “Wow, you have a lot of sounds. Which one?”

  “Try none.” I have the urge to trap her hand and hold it, but since I’m on official business and she’s a civilian, I have to refrain. “There’s no crime in progress. Routine response means no siren.”

  “Too bad,” she says. “I love to hear the sounds of police in pursuit. Yelp or wail? Oh … I bet you pulse a lot.”

  I don’t have to wonder how much yelping, wailing, and pulsing she’ll emit in bed. I’m sure I’ll need a soundproof room, soft and full blankets, and lots of pillows. If only I can stop getting hard whenever she’s around. It’s torture having her jiggling in such tight quarters. Not that the Chevy Tahoe PPV is small, but I’m a man who likes to spread out my prey.

  Better shut it down, Colson. This is official police business. The hot hitchhiker will have to wait.

  Fortunately, there’s no traffic today, so we arrive at the former red-light district quickly. I let Tami off to go talk to the ghost hunter while I meet the workers to take a report about the stolen equipment. The dumpster fire is out, thanks to the fire department, and the ambulance is tending to the injured worker.

  I interview the foreman who says Juan missed the zipline because he was talking on the phone. To be on the safe side, I give the line a tug, and it’s tight and functioning. Before he leaves in the ambulance, Juan confirms that it was an accident and wonders why anyone would call the police.

  I have no answer. This is a small town, and people get bored easily, or they watch too many crime shows on television and imagine conspiracies around every corner.

  Construction resumes after I finish questioning the workers, and I can see Tami strutting around the property with that sneaky-looking Evan Graves. He’s carrying a baseball bat and swinging it around to show her how he’ll confront any prowlers out to steal supplies.

  It’s a perfectly sunny, although chilly day in the mountains, and he’s skulking around in a trench coat while hiding his face under a wide-brimmed hat that covers his skull-like bald head. The only thing that’s missing is a pipe and a lackey saying, “No shit, Sherlock,” following him around.

  I’ve already run a background check on Mr. Graves. He’s squeaky clean. No priors, no arrests, no warrants, not even a speeding ticket.

  I’m not buying it, and I’m going to ask Tami where she found him and how she can afford his big fees.

  When I return to the station, Molly has her crusty old hiking boots on my desk, and she’s reading a dog-eared paperback. She’s a small woman, petite and peppy like a Yorkshire terrier, but her bark is gruff and booming like that of a St. Bernard. I can easily hear her halfway down the street, and the term library voice means nothing to her.

  “Everything okay at the Bee Sting?” she asks, snapping the book shut.

  “I need you to look into Evan Graves. I’m betting that’s not his real name.” I give her the stink eye while she lowers her feet and pushes her ergonomic chair from my desk.

  “Did you look at his website?” No matter how respectful she pretends to be, she can’t hide the superior snark from her voice. Not sure why, because as far as I’m concerned, she’s a sympathy hire and foisted on me by the town council—something about jobs for local residents to get them off welfare. For that, I’m supposed to ignore her tardiness, calling in sick, and gossiping on the phone. Lucky for us, ninety percent of the calls we get are annoyance calls—complaints about neighbor’s barking dogs, misplaced flowerpots or yard tools, or drive-by requests to question suspicious characters spotted in residential areas.

  “That’s what I have you fo
r.” I sweep a pile of paperwork across the desk. “I’ve a meeting with the mayor on the logistics for policing Spooky Fest.”

  “Oh, Spooky Fest. I can’t wait. Think I should go as a witch? You will give me the day off, won’t you?”

  She’ll take off anytime she feels like it, so I might as well be magnanimous.

  “Mark the days you want on the calendar, and I’ll see if I can get one of the volunteers to cover.” I grab a folder with the details of the private security firm Donnelly picked out and fill my thermos with coffee. The back of my neck prickles with a feeling Molly is watching me, but when I glance out the side of my eye, she appears to be clicking through a website.

  There’s a mirror mounted on her computer monitor, and I’ve caught her quickly closing websites whenever she thought someone was spying on her.

  “Anything yet?” I walk by on my way out.

  “Not much. He was on a ghost-hunting reality show, but it didn’t last long, and he’s a graduate of Malibu University—same year as Tami.”

  I hook an eyebrow up and lean over to look at the screen. “Do you think she knew him from college?”

  Molly shrugs. “Why? Checking out the competition?”

  “No.” I keep my face as hard as gray slate. “He’s in charge of the hotel’s haunted exhibits. I’m in charge of keeping Spooky Fest safe.”

  “He’s a member of Sigma Epsilon Chi, the fraternity nicknamed SEX, and they’re brother-sister paired with Tami’s Eta Epsilon Chi, or HEX.” Molly says in a woo-woo tone as if it’s the most suspicious thing in the world.

  I scratch my chin. “What does that mean?”

  She looks over her shoulder at me and rolls her eyes. “You’ve never been outside of Colson’s Corner, I see.”

  “Of course, I have,” I sputter, hating to be put on the defensive. “What else do you have on this charlatan?”

  She hums under her breath and scrolls through a website filled with “ghostly” pictures. “Don’t you have a meeting to go to?”